Kingdom Hearts: Worlds in Decay - PROLOGUE
by Keyaku
Summary: Two new characters, Akira and Star, meet during the final days before summer vacation on Destiny Islands, or, rather, before the Islands succumb to Darkness. Discover what lies behind Akira's motives to leave the Islands and how his relationships with Star, Riku, Sora or Kairi will bind them together for the rest of the story.
1. Chapter I

**Chapter I**

* * *

Falling. Falling.  
For what seem like long hours, Akira plunges deep down into an abyss. Some warmth welcomes him there. He slowly enters his Heart.

A huge round glass, in which he is represented, carefully draws beneath his feet. As he lands to this oddly-shaped floor, his eyes point at every edge, curious and not nervous of the place. A voice within him speaks aloud:

"How does it feel to see yourself and not understand what defines you? Finding familiar emotions and still be confused as to how they were rooted in the mind… Has time slipped by and changed you without you noticing?  
"Do not let time deceive you. Keep walking forward; learn from your mistakes.  
"Granted, be careful with the steps you take. Walking on a treacherous path requires a proper fighting spirit."

For whatever reason, the boy does not question the Voice's nature and wants to follow its instructions until the very end.

"First, let your Heart decide which path to take. Each of these weapons represent a power; you can only truly master one. Think ahead: which is the most suitable to you?"

A sharp rapier and a large water-like buckler appeared properly scattered across the place.

"When your choice has been made, proceed to this door. There, you will know if it was the correct one."

A door appears out of nowhere before Akira's eyes. After some contemplation, he picks his weapon and opens the door. Light blinds his sight as he opens it; he goes through, nonetheless.

On the other side, the glass floor is now representing a girl with short, dark hair, to which Akira glances with a serious and upset look. The weapon of his choice stands floating in the center of the place.

"Do not rely solely in sheer strength. Do not believe it brings you quicker to goodness. Fall in that situation and you will make yourself powerless; you will not differentiate friend from foe.  
"And never give voice to your fear: that is when you will most certainly meet defeat."

Shadow-like creatures start lurking around the glass floor and ready themselves to attack.

"Grab your weapon with conviction. Know that you shall use it to aid you and those around you."

Akira is too distracted to heed the voice's orders and observes the creatures. At first, they look inoffensive to the young man's eyes but that is just their misleading appearance. Although he attempts to kick them to make way to the weapon, the creatures prove to be tough just enough to resist his attacks. Their claws are sharp and cut through him fiercely. He begins to get desperate as he finds out more of the things are spawning.

Outnumbered and frightened, Akira quickly heads to the floating weapon. One of the creatures makes him trip but, as he falls, he's still able to grab it. He misses. The weapon slips through his hands as if it's not actually there.  
The dark beings get closer still to the young man until they finally grasp onto his limbs and cover his body with a heavy, layer of dark thorns. Akira closes his eyes out of immense pain. He screams, yet no sounds come from his mouth.

He opens his eyes which begin to fade from brown to yellow. When he's about to burst of hatred, the Voice speaks again:

"Do not depend your life on a weapon. They should be just extensions of your body and mind."

Akira suddenly realizes how pathetic he was just a minute before. Now with a better judgement, he calmly closes his eyes and recollects his emotions.  
By focusing on pushing his primal instincts away, his weapon of choice disappears from its original place and reappears in his hand. Without wonder, Akira reopens his brown eyes, gets up and fights the beings.

"Never blindly approach your enemies. Advance when the opportunity seems grand and stand back when the timing feels right. Engrave these actions deeply to your soul and only then shall you help yourself with your instincts. When all hope seems lost, bid for the Light to aid you. It is within you at all times.  
"And remember: to every Light… is a Shadow."

Upon the last spoken word, Akira defeats the final shadow only to find that many of the same lump into one spot behind him, forming one big human silhouette; Akira does not feel much fear but is rather hesitant as to whether or not he can singlehandedly face this new foe. It's rather titanic, colossal even. A sword would be a mere needle for the likes of this titan.  
His hesitation was mistimed as the huge being, with one quick motion, steps on Akira to meet his end.

Cracks are heard under the foot. The silhouette does not show emotion, yet it feels it is satisfied with its action.  
More cracks are heard and even seen on the glass floor; suddenly, the foot starts elevate and a monstrous roar comes beneath it, to which the colossal being responds by putting more weight on its leg. It made no difference: Akira, in one push, made his foe fall into the dark abyss.  
One good look at Akira would guarantee that he's less recognizable, if at all: he grew bigger in size and mass, his eyes glow a yellowish tone, bears thicker hair, his face distorted similar to that of a beast.

The Voice seems to be talking again but it cannot be understood.

Akira stands in place as if he's waiting for more from his late foe. The floor then begins to tremble; many more of the towers rise in no distinct pattern. The colossal being jumps out of the void and lands over the towers; still as big as before, now with the same shape as Akira but on four feet. A huge roar came from the monster's mouth, though Akira remains motionless, fearless, standing his ground to fight it with his bare fists.

Just as he attempts to defend the dark titan's first attack, in the blink of an eye, he's no longer at the top of the tower in the middle of blackness. The monster also no longer in sight.

All he notices in front of him is a girl, 13 years old maybe, of short black hair with her back turned to him. He shivers recognizing her back. As she turns around to look at him with a caring smile on her face, Akira jerks a tear.  
His body is cold. She lifts her arm as if to give him a hand.  
His body is colder. Noiseless fire rises from the ground around them. She still stands with her arm stretched waiting for his hand. He drops another tear.  
His body is stone cold, even amidst the flames.

He burns. He burns.

He wakes up in his bed. It takes him a couple of seconds to realize it was dream, as unreal as it was. It takes a few more to ponder about the dream but quickly disregards it.

Moments later, seeing that he is unable to sleep any longer, Akira stands up, goes outside with a glass on his hand filled with a peculiar liquid and climbs the roof to gaze at the outnumbering stars that reigned over the sky of Destiny Islands. Alone, staring at these bright lights from great distances, questioning their real nature.

His thoughts are interrupted when a sweet and tender voice of a girl echoes in the mildly windy night:

"May I join?"

Akira turns his head around and gets surprised to see that particular face at the hour.


	2. Chapter II - A surprising encounter

**Chapter II** — A Surprising Encounter

* * *

The teacher of fencing classes, and a master of this art, gave Akira the instruction to practice with the second best student while he was away; instead of doing what he's told, he hangs with his other classmates.

Sayf, a friend of Akira, equipped with his gear, is going through the basics with a new student but is having quite a hard time. Akira tries to help by correcting every aspect of the newcomer's position and attacks:

"Watch your posture. Apply a better grip to your sword. You're moving too much. Don't wave your sword like that. No, targets are restricted to anything above the waist. Watch your posture. Don't act too quickly, you're still too green. He's gonna hit you in the… He just hit you in the stomach. Again! Get back to your position. Stop waving your unarmed hand. Watch your posture. Don't hold your sword with your two hands. Watch your posture!  
"Wow. All that crap you said about having had long-time lessons before — who knows with whom — and yet here you are, still committing beginners' flaws. Your first exam is next week; tell me how you'll pass it if you're not even trying, girl."

The student takes her helmet off, proceeds to remove her hairpin and her long fire-orange hair flies around her. Her hair is one of the most beautiful of all girls' they've seen. Her personality, though, seems questionable according to the boys, given her repeated objections.

"Oh! But I am trying! I'm practicing so hard!" the girl responds.

For whatever reason, Sayf finds her complaints amusing as low giggles can be heard under his mask.

"No, you aren't." replies Akira. "It sure doesn't look like it to me, and it will look less to the Master."

"I _have_ been trying and, if anything, he's the one to blame!" she points at Sayf. "He's terrible at fencing. I can't train with a retard like this! Plus, shouting orders really isn't helping. You could make an effort and fight me yourself!"

Sayf takes off his mask. He's smirking, trying not to burst out laughing. He approaches Akira and whispers:

"I'm out, man. Plus, I hear her voice one more time and I swear-"

"Shut it, Sayf, I get it. And don't worry, I'll handle this."

Sayf gives a sudden serious face while Akira grabs someone's equipment.

"Okay, sure. You got this."

"By the way, did Riku mention something?" queries Akira remembering Riku's interest in joining them.

"No, not really. I guess he was still indecisive. I still don't know why you're so interested—"

"Anyways, although it's dull to train with such a beginner," he lays his eyes on the girl. "she has a point: it is far more tedious to stand and watch while spouting orders."

He goes up to the student with his weapon in hand while Sayf sits down and watches his friend take care of the situation.

"If that is your wish, I'll fight and teach you at the same time. It shouldn't be hard since we're taking this slowly."

"With no mask on?" the girl asks.

It's against the rules. Not that breaking them would be a problem; the point was that, even if one is great at fencing, the physical consequences of not being too careful could be disastrous.

Still, even though he never underestimated anybody without thinking, Akira assumes that she would never hit him in the face, let alone hit him anywhere else just once.

"Here, take mine—" Sayf tries to say before Akira makes a motion with his arm to deny it.

"It would be hard for you to listen to what I said with these masks. They have this pointless mouth protection that muffle everything I say. And I don't need it. Especially when I'm fighting a rookie like you." She smiles and readies her hair. "Tell me: what was your name again?"

"Star." She puts on her mask.

He pauses for a couple of seconds and gives a faint smirk.

"All right, Star. Put yourself in position. That's right. Now, do exactly as you are told and I'm not answering a single question."

The initial spar went fantastically. She's doing better than she did with Sayf, quickly and easily following every single instruction her mentor is giving out.

"Halt!" Akira is glad this didn't take too much work. "All right, you're doing great. Now, move as we've just revised, only this time by yourself. Don't worry, I'm still going easy on you. Ready?"

She puts herself into position again.

He shouts to begin the real duel. In a split second, she overcomes him. He's caught by surprise but with a good reaction time, Akira quickly hits back with his sword, making her step back. In another fraction of a second, she once again charges at him. Those weren't rookie movements at all. She's better than any other beginner who demonstrated great initial dueling skills and is practically reaching those who have been practicing for at least a year. She even surpasses those who have been here longer! Most students stop what they were doing to watch.

"Was she playing rookie all along?" asked Sayf out loud only to be silenced by his colleagues who were eager to know how this would end.

Her posture is perfect, her position is adequate for both defense and attack and her arm is quick. Additionally, she didn't have a simple strategy; she's completely dynamic and not entirely predictable. Out of her approaches, Akira concludes one thing: she wishes to disarm him instead of finishing the duel the traditional way, in which consists in hitting the opponent or pushing the opponent out of the dueling zone, from the school's ruling, three times.

He decides to riposte with the same goal. She's good, but Akira is better and he knew that. In a rapid succession, he tricks her by pretending to attack her arm, then swings his sword towards her neck, resulting in a guarding stance in her acts, and finally fiercely disarms her before she could counter him. He grabs her sword in mid-air with his left hand and touches her chest with the tip of her own weapon.

After a brief moment of silence, the spectators give a round of applause. For both the combatants and the viewer, the duel was intense. Akira and Star had not realized that they had battled for nearly two minutes straight, and duels like these usually take mere seconds to end. For the fencers, it seemed both quick, because it was compelling, and long, while it lasted, but, best of all, fun! Nobody except his long-time rival has ever faced Akira this way, as he excels in almost every aspect.

Right after taking her protective mask to clear a drop of sweat on her forehead, Akira drops both swords and reaches out his arm to her for a handshake, with which she responds positively. Their eyes cross and they feel that a great and long-lasting bond was forged between them.


	3. Chapter III - Tuning and Dissonance

**Chapter III** —Tuning and Dissonance

* * *

"Wait…! What? Come on! Man… Now THIS is what I call boring." says Zell after realizing that his friends weren't telling the actual story of the clash between Akira and Star. "This surely ain't right, man!  
"Just forget it, you guys. I'm gonna go outside n' have fun with my awesome self." As he turns around to the exit, he sees two girls passing by and, in quick acts, he turns back and goes inside the shed again, closing the door behind him; he's able to tell that one of the girls looked at him. "Oh, cr—! The girl from the-! From the-!"

"The infamous girl from the library." says Rufus who's leaning onto the wall. "Why don't you stop wasting any time with us and go after her? You know, make something meaningful in your life."

"Ouch." says Akira. "Don't you think that was just a _little_ harsh?"

"Yeah, Shinra! Lookin' for a fight?"

"You usually do much more damage to Mr. Stutter-in-front-of-isenpai/i here." resumes Akira.

Rufus gives a faint smile and combs his hair with his hand from the front to the back, while Zell replies to Akira:

"Come on, man! Not you too! An- an- and that was a one time thing! Next time, I'll ask her out for real!" Zell throws a few punches in the air. "Pfft. Whatever. Deep down, you're all talk but no beef!"

"True" admits Rufus. "Between all of us, you're the best 'beef'. Like in hand-to-hand combat." He picks a walking stick that was beside him and makes shapes with its tip on the floor. "You approach the enemy blindly and throw all your arsenal until you tire yourself… then, the enemy blushes and goes «Why isn't he like the other boys?! _Baka_!»"

Akira snorts at the ridiculous joke.

"Ah, I see! You guys are on a roll together. I'll wait a bit outside until you folks settle down." expresses Zell putting his hands behind his head.

"All right, Zell!" exclaims Akira. "You win." Rufus rolls his eyes upon hearing this and drops his stick.

"Oh yeah!" Zell sits down on the couch with utmost comfort. "Tell me everything! The real deal, now. Was she cute? She good as you make me think she was?"

"Sadly, she didn't give as much challenge as Rufus would have. She just caught me off guard."

"Be honest:" interrupts Rufus. "Even after you came to your senses, she gave you quite the fight. I tried to schedule a duel with her and she refused, claiming I wasn't any challenge to her. Just who does this girl think she is? Going around, underestimating people like that."

"Well, she must have quite some guts!" says Zell while clenching his fist.

"Don't be gullible. 'Guts'… It's plain stupidity and insolence. Considering the intelligence she showed this morning, I bet she'll stubbornly hit a tree, one day, believing she's going through the front door of her own house.  
"Besides, I know full well each and everyone's story in the islands and I can assure you this girl has no more surprises. As a matter of a fact, I knew she was undergoing fencing training and even told you, Akira."

"Really? Must've forgotten. Not that I care about every detail around, mind you."

Zell let the topic slide by bringing up a piece of news:

"I think I've heard this." says Rufus cringing at what's coming.

"What? What's 'this'?" asks Akira. He realizes it wasn't good news from the look of Rufus's face. "What happened?"

"Well… Sayf's done it again. He bullied Sora and his gang again, or at least just Sora."

"Tried to." corrects Rufus. "The moron couldn't keep a straight face when I showed up, and the kid's friends were there to back him up."

"Are you guys…?! Damn it! When will we have to stop clearing our names because of his… This is getting pathetic. What was he thinking this time?"

"Same as last time" starts Zell. "Only, this time, I think he caught something from them. He started poking Sora with it and seeing as he wasn't getting the attention he wanted, he got angry and _tried_ to pick on the kid."

"From what I gathered," Rufus adds, "Tidus overheard a 'other worlds' talk from Sora's trio, was talking it over to someone else, and Sayf overheard that at school." Rufus's information was usually accurate. Who knows how far his reconnaissance skills go.

"That's it." exclaims Akira as he punches the wall. "He crossed the line. Who believes this 'other worlds' stuff, anyways? It's their own child-play, let them have it."

"Exactly. It's got nothing to do with us; unfortunately, now it has. We'll just have to deal this just like last time. Proper apologies, gratifications to the victims… and, just this once, a little _present_ to Sayf."

"What do you intend to do?" asks Akira.

"A little something that'll teach him respect. The fool won't bother Sora any longer afterwards."

Akira doubts Rufus's idea will work, though he himself seems pretty sure. They know Rufus is always able to change a person's perspective on something; they never know how he's able to achieve this.

"Man… I wish this wouldn't go this way, ya know? But this is _really_ getting out of hand!…" says Zell, kicking the air.

After a moment of silence, Zell excuses himself and leaves.

"Finally, a moment to just the two of us." says Rufus while getting away from the wall, heading to a crate near the opposite corner.

"Hmm? Got something on your mind?" Akira then notices Rufus picking up their fencing swords, to which he lets a subtle and discrete laugh. He stands up. "Oh, you."

"Gotta say: nice acting, Akira. I see you're still reluctant on sharing the same 'other worlds' belief." Rufus throws one of the fencing swords at Akira, who catches with utmost calm.

"Got a good reason. You know how Sayf reacted and I'm pretty sure he's not alone. Folk is mainly calm and collected but there can be a few… wild weeds. Speaking of which: what is your stance on this?" says Akira before putting himself into position.

"Conflicted, but I don't fret over it too much. Tell you what: if there _are_ other 'lands' out there, I gotta make my way to them. This place is just too uninteresting. Who knows, maybe we could end up visiting your home-place, wherever that is." Rufus also puts himself into position.

"Maybe… Nevertheless, we must make sure this doesn't spread. Parents shouldn't worry with this story, and everyone else must not know that Sayf's actions took place."

Akira sighs before continuing.

"Rufus Shinra. After this, no hard feelings?"

"I'm not so sure. If you lose, I'll become frustrated by the fact that I've wasted my precious time with my rival. If I lose, I'll become even more frustrated, logically." Rufus makes a serious face. "And, Akira… rules by the book. In other words, nothing that the girl came up with."

"Consider it done."

A few seconds pass. One steps forward and the other defends the frontal attack. Akira and Rufus's spar begins upon the clash of their weapons.


	4. Chapter IV - Theory, Fantasy, Curiosity

**Chapter IV** — Theory, Fantasy, Curiosity

* * *

"May I join?"

This distinct feminine and sweet voice fills the air. Star can be recognized under the moonlight.

"Sure, have a 'seat'." responds Akira.

He stretches out his arm to give her a lift and bring her to the roof. She notices the glass next to him.

"Seeing if you get drunk alone?" asks Star in a sarcastic tone.

"Ha ha. Very funny. As if I were old enough to drink." he picks the glass to reexamine the liquid. "It's Paopu juice."

"P-Paopu juice?!" Star giggles a little bit. "Never tried that!"

"Piece of trivia: I asked around and _no one_ has. Seriously. No one reports having tasted Paopu fruit except for a few couples where they said they shared it as kids."

"Oh. Really? They shared it because of that story?"

"Yeah, the… love intertwined thing or whatever. Crap story for children. The main reason they don't make juice or eat it regularly is because of its scarcity: as you might know, the only tree that gives this fruit is on that island." says Akira pointing at the far-off island. "And it gives very few of it. I had to try it out, but…"

Akira silences for a bit until Star breaks it:

"But…? Is it good? Can I try?"

Akira looks her from the corner of his eyes. He attempts very hard not to give a smile.

"Sure, if you wish. Tell me what you think."

The girl tastes the fluid giving very subtle sips.

"It's… actually pretty good."

Akira doesn't know whether to laugh or to remain surprised. She was being serious.

"Uhh… Yeah. It is." After getting the glass back, Akira looks at it again and decides to taste it himself while the girl lies completely on her back. It tasted something refreshing. Smooth and somewhat sour, the good kind. He's stunned with this breakthrough.  
"Okay, I'll be 100% honest with you: you'd try this a few hours ago and you'd discard it immediately."

"Uhm… Why?"

"Well… I asked my closest friends to taste it out with me. I gave a small glass to each one of them and, on the count to three, we all drank it together. Everyone started making grimaces, and I disgusted myself for giving something with such a dreadful taste. At the same time, Rufus - you know, that guy who went up to you to ask for a duel? - Rufus and I spit what we had hard on the sand. We both laughed and he mocked, congratulating me for the first biggest screw-up I've done so far; followed by more laughs and everyone emptying their glasses in the sand. I saved some just in case… and it really turned out well, I guess."

"Was it really that bad? It actually tastes kind of nice."

"I know. I'm still kind of surprised. It tastes nothing like before. Maybe the additional ingredient is time?"

"Maybe… Wait, you tried to give me that awful taste?"

Akira attempts once again not to burst out laughing but fails.

"You…!"

"Sorry! I couldn't resist."

Akira also lies completely on his back upon the roof. They give a small moment to gaze at the starred sky until Akira breaks the silence:

"You know, you could've just asked me directly for a fight. It would spare you time wasted with that 'retard', spared all the attention from my friends - unless you actually wanted that - and the annoying attitude, which was fake and obviously to get my attention. What were you thinking, exactly?"

She takes a deep breath before answering:

"At the same time, I wanted attention and I wanted a duel with you. When I heard someone around was excelling at fencing, I had to check it out. We all sort of know each other but not fully well, so I wasn't sure it was you. But just asking you wouldn't cut it. I needed to surprise you - and those around me - by making you think I was a beginner and a sore loser. That's why I was playing rookie against Saf."

"Sayf" corrects Akira.

"Sayf, whatever. And made up a story just to get in."

"Well, the rookie act really did its thing, you caught me off guard. However, in the end, you _didn't_ beat me."

"Unfortunately. I could've won if we had a second go at it!"

"I'd like to see that! Jokes aside, where did you get so good at fencing?"

"My dad always made time to teach me ever since I was thirteen."

"Oh? Any specific reason?"

"Well, out of the blue, he began giving me personal fencing classes. Saying things like «Fighting's an art; it serves for both life and show» and he thought fencing was the best way to start. Not too sure what he means with this."

Akira notices she's covering a deeper story beneath this white lie. He doesn't give much thought.

"Well, I'm glad you did. Fencing is something I really enjoy, and the only person who was able to challenge me up to this point was Rufus."

"Now you've got two challengers. And Rufus will remain with one."

"Poor bastard."

Star takes a moment to gaze upon the sky again before letting out:

"I know this may sound cheesy, but… every night, I can't seem to get over this overwhelming feeling of how beautiful the sky looks."

"Cheesy? Yes. But complete, legitimate truth."

"Why do we feel like so?" asks Star before saying "Ah… never mind, I'm just asking nonsense now."

Akira thinks for a moment before sitting up and going on:

"Why do we feel insignificant when we look upon the sky at night?" Akira rephrases her question. "You don't mind if I explain?"

"Oh, sure, if you can!"

"All right, then. Let us begin with a voyage with our primal curiosity; let's make it dare with what we already know, starting with your name: what is a star? What are these pale lights scattered all over this vast, dark sheet, and why are some brighter than others?  
"Think of it this way: when the townspeople make a huge bonfire, you can see it from one of the other islands, even if less stronger from your perspective. So, what if, in the sky, we're just seeing other people lighting up their own bonfires from far, far away?  
"Unfortunately, this might not be the case; people sent floating candles in the past and always saw it disappear in the far off distance before reaching the stars.  
"So, with that in mind, let's be a bit more daring: take the Sun, brighter than any of our fires, so bright we can't even look at it with our very own eyes. What if the stars-"

"Are Suns of other lands?"

Akira seems pleased with this response.

"Exactly. And that is why, Star, you feel belittled to this sky; this picture holds some magnificence that you have yet to know, cultures and lands to be explored, and that takes your breath away every time you look at it."

"Wow! I… never gave this kind of thought about it. It really sounds crazy."

"It does; like I said, we can only imagine." blurts out Akira.

"Also, you're sounding a lot like a grandpa at this very moment."

"Oh, please." says Akira. She giggles. "Anyways, we stand in awe with this sky, but I have a theory that the 'other lands' would see a different kind of sky. Let me explain: see this pattern of stars?" Akira gets close to her and gently grabs her hand to draw with her finger in the air. "You can make out, for example, a 'palm tree' as a stick with four branches on its head; what if you'd be in the place of any of the stars of this palm tree and look at the sky at night. Would you see this same palm tree?"

Akira lets go of her hand for her to think. She hesitates before replying:

"We would, right?"

"No, we wouldn't because we're looking at everything on a whole different perspective. They'd see maybe our own Sun and make out whatever shape fits in the whole canvas. Kind of like looking at a drawing on a paper from a different perspective, it will never look as you intended."

The girl's expression fills with wonder. Akira speaks again:

"Finally, the intensity of their lights… represent their distance to us. The shinier they glow, the closer they are to us. At least, it's what I theorize."

"What if… What if it's something else? Maybe stars are the life of these other lands. The stronger they glow… The better they thrive."

"Nah. I wouldn't count on it." Akira seems sure of himself.

Star reaches out her hand in the air, as if in an attempt to grab something, before saying:

"What if we were to… reach out for one? What would we find?"

"Who knows. That's where I draw the line, anyways." lies Akira. "It's hard, if not impossible, to imagine anything beyond that."

"Huh. How do you know this much?"

"«Curiosity killed the cat… but satisfaction brought it back.» My… dad, the Fencing master, told me that once. I find it most fitting."

The girl puts her hand over her stomach and closes her eyes. As she does this, Akira stares at the sky until she says all of a sudden:

"I imagine a sea like ours. Islands like ours. People like us."

"Now that's a daring thought. And you might just be right. But let's not get over ourselves with fantasy."

After another pause, the young man looks at her and saw some fatigue in her eyes and offers to accompany her to the dock, as she lived in the opposite island. Before leaving, Akira hands to her the glass to see if she wanted a last sip, and she accepts.

As they walk, Akira makes small talk to the girl and she seems to enjoy it. He then notices someone walking in the opposite direction they were going. It was Riku. He figures he could meet up with him as soon as he saw Star off.

He has a lot to discuss with him. A lot to clear up. All of that in a bit.


	5. Chapter V - Answers lead to Questions

**Chapter V** — Answers lead to more Questions

* * *

"Riku!" The boy turns his head around. "Up at this hour?"

"Yeah." replies Riku, sitting on the sand. Akira joins him by sitting a couple of feet away. "Look, we're square. It took some convincing but my friends don't consider any of you hostile now. Except for Sayf."

"Thanks. I'm glad. He's becoming a nuisance lately."

Akira takes his shoes off to soak his feet in the recurrent waves.

"Saw you with a girl before. Was she the one who gave you a challenge in fencing?"

"Yep. Wonder how you got to know that."

"I like to inform myself. Is she your girlfriend, now?"

Akira lets out a small laugh.

"Far from it. Commitment with girls… that's just not me."

"Oh? What, do you take commitment with guys, then?" questions Riku while smiling.

"Come on, now." says Akira, and Riku laughs.

"Well, I guess you and I share some traits, then."

"Really? I thought you took a liking to Kairi."

"Not really. Kairi's… Kairi's my motivation. My inspiration. Her presence… gives me an overwhelming feeling; makes me want to go out there even more. I can't quite explain it."

"Isn't that… you know, indication that you _like someone_?!."

Riku ignores this and looks at the far-off island he's used to play on before resuming:

"I feel somewhat the same with you. It's both of you that push me forward, actually. Thinking about how your worlds look like… How grand they must be."

"Moreso Kairi, I see."

"Don't be like that. You jealous?"

Akira snorts before speaking with obvious false overjoy:

"Oh, yes! Please, notice me _senpai_!"

"What?" says Riku amidst his own laughter. He sighs. "Say, if Kairi, Sora and I do get out, what will you do while you're still stuck in here?"

"Silly kid. Don't be moronic. If you take this as a race, I'm way ahead of you."

"Really? I don't see you crafting rafts or any vessel for that matter. How will you travel beyond this big blue that surrounds us?"

Akira avoids the question.

"If you _do_ get outside and things turn to the worst, how are any of you coming back?"

"I… Hmm… I don't know. Must we know right away? We'll think of something when we'll have to."

"…You're desperately trying to leave with no clue on how to return? Are you _that_ eager to find Kairi's home-world?"

"Hers, yours… Anyone else's. Just to leave this place. This tiny peck that seems so insignificant in comparison."

"What about your parents?"

"What about them?"

"…You're not the least worried about them? How they're going to miss you, or—"

"What about _your_ parents?" interrupts Riku, seemingly displeased with the topic. "Your real ones. Do you remember something now?"

Akira, although troubled on the inside, responds collectedly:

"No. Just vague images. Like Kairi, I have to leave and find where my home-place was. The main difference between Kairi and me is that she came in here too early to remember a thing. As for me… amnesia's not an easy thing to deal with. But I guess it's fate that made us land here."

A sudden thought disturbs Akira before going on:

"Now that I mention it… two days from now, it'll be five years since I hit these shores."

"Oh yeah, you told me you came here on your thirteenth birthday. Must be tough receiving such a 'present'."

"Eh. No big deal. Maybe destiny has something in store for me. Maybe I _had_ to come here to learn something. Whatever the reason is, I don't intend to go on a measly raft. I'm building something sturdier, even if it's taking months to do it. Summer vacation's coming on my birthday too, so I might as well work full time."

"Wait: you're _currently_ building it?"

"I told you: I'm way ahead of you. It's been done in secrecy at my father's home. The base is done and it's comfortable for two people. Water's not supposed to enter. I just must make sure I don't ruin the rest up so that it floats."

Riku laughs at the thought.

"What if it doesn't?"

"In that case: _screw it_! I'm going by swim!" says Akira while pointing at the horizon, coincidentally towards Riku and his friends' playground island. "Seriously, though: do not underestimate me. I _never_ failed technically."

"Uh-huh. I'll admit, you're pretty good at a lot of things. But, say, you think you can manage to act if you don't plan ahead? You know, when things get tricky."

"No… I don't 'know'. Everything _must_ be planned ahead, so I won't find myself in that situation."

"You're wrong, Akira." This annoyed Akira and made him glance at Riku. "Not everything can be planned. Sometimes, you'll hit something unexpected and you must act quickly. You can't prepare for those events. Sometimes, you have to choose… with no lead on where exactly to go."

Akira cringes with this point of view.

"I don't follow… In 'unexpected' situations, I'd still have some basis of where to go, no? Anyways, what do _you_ know?

"Whatever, I'm going back to bed, it's getting late." He gets up and turns towards the village.

"Akira." calls Riku.

"Hmm?" he says as he turns around to look at Riku.

"Did you ever hold a secret for so long that you almost can't resist but sharing it?"

Akira looks down for a moment before answering:

"You have no idea."

"Thought so." as he slightly shifts his head to look at Akira from the corner of his eyes. "Don't worry. I won't ask."

"From the sound of it, you too have something bagged inside. Don't you?"

"…I do."

"Sharing it won't help?"

"I mustn't. At all. This is a burden I alone must carry. Although… You're the only one I really trust around here. If anything, I'd tell it only to you."

Akira pauses upon this response before setting march again.

"Stay healthy, Riku. And don't be late for school tomorrow!" he says jokingly.

More questions, vague answers, strong deceits. Riku hides something but, in the end, is it anything important, at least to Akira and his goal? He decides to shrug the conversations of this night off.


	6. Chapter VI - Shiny Light, Dark Surrounds

**Chapter VI** — Where Light shines, Darkness surrounds it

—

Unnatural Darkness has fallen over the Islands. Akira witnesses the sickening of a few townsfolk before heading to the furthest island where Riku and Kairi seemingly went. He finds Riku with talks of madness, claiming he's waiting for Sora.

Akira then heads towards the cave where the kids had drawn on the walls with chalk-like rocks for the past few years. There, he finds Kairi and a silver-haired man that looked like he was absorbing something from the girl.

From then on, Akira stands in front of her, trying to protect her as the perpetrator attempts to explain his objective to the boy.

"So… which is this gonna be? Will you aid me fulfilling my objective or will you stand in the way of Darkness?"

Akira stands nervously. He doesn't know how to properly react.

"Heh…" starts Akira. "You come from who-knows-where barging in and you suddenly ask for help? Not to mention, you're the one behind this storm! Just who do you think you are, you bastard?! Keep your sorceries away from these people! They don't deserve any of this!"

"Alas, I did not summon this storm: it is just the consequence of its light fading, giving into the darkness! This world has been connected; it was only a matter of time before this would happen.

"Now, I'll seek so that you and others will follow me to the path of Darkness, in search for the other Hearts of Pure Light. Starting with that girl." he says while putting his eyes on Kairi.

"Just… what?!" exclaimed Akira. "Could you _please_ make just a little bit of sense? Darkness, Pure Li- WHAT?! Why are you telling me this?"

"I can sense hatred, loss, sorrow from your Heart." To this statement, Akira shows his dismay. "You can harness the intensity of all those emotions and use them as your will to fight. If you follow me, I'll teach you to use that sentiment to its full potential and have your revenge!"

Akira is frozen in place. Can this man read his thoughts? Maybe glance at his memories? After all, he's witnessed wicked sorcery in the past, which caused his stranding on the Islands. Still, he must be sure if his mind can be read like an open book or if this entity knows more than he's telling.

"Akira! Please!" screams Kairi with a tear on her face. Her strength fades and she leans next to the wall.

Akira lets out a sigh.

"Look at what you did, you punk. Listen, this is certain: you _can't_ have her! You can't have _any_ of us. Follow you to the Darkness? What, you think we're actually stupid?"

The silver-haired man lets out a small, deep laugh.

"Foolish response! The road to Darkness is the road of power. Without power, you will not be able to protect those you care the most. If you do not want to follow this road, you'll be knowing the way of pain as Darkness absorbs your Light in your most vulnerable moments."

"As if. Now, let me ask you this one last time: leave the inhabitants of this world alone!" Akira's eyes gain a yellowish glow. "Unless _you_ wish to know pain."

Another deep laugh from the man.

"You've been through so much, yet learned so very little. Go ahead. Take the fool's path and yield while the power of Darkness consumes… Every. Single. Life… Around you."

Akira shivers at the end of this last sentence.

"You… Take that back. Don't you think you can get away with this. Don't _any of you freaks_ think you can get away with this! Not again!" roars Akira as he runs swiftly towards the man and punches him hard in the stomach before the other could properly defend. His power was immense; the man went flying towards the void where once before stood a wooden door.

Kairi backs away at the sight his powerful punch, crawling on the floor on her back. She couldn't ever have realized that someone could pack up such strength. Akira turns to her. His face looks weary and a bit more tanned than usual.

"You all right?"

Even with this question that shows some care, she manifests her fear; it's of no surprise since Akira's appearance has become most frightful. His eyes still glow that yellow tone, his expression feels menacing.

"What… What are you?!" She squeals.

"Hmpf. If you're scared of this, you won't manage outside the Islands longer than a minute. Get this, Kairi: Nobody can't protect you forever. You gotta look after yourself." His face and eyes are now back to normal. "Come on. Get up. I'll hold him off if he manages to come back. Go outside but keep away from Riku! He sounds like he's lost his mind."

Kairi can't move. She's down on her knees, whimpering. She can't take it any longer. All these rushing emotions and unreal events. She doesn't know what to think anymore. It's all too much to process that she shakes.

"Crap… Look, didn't mean it like that! Kairi, listen!" Akira holds her hand firmly. "You must make sure that you ready yourself for these situations. Be strong! If you can't fight your way through, don't cower like you're doing right now; study your enemy; plan your escape. If you hesitate, you _die_."

This last word was shrilling. She gets up instantly, letting go of his hand, and starts screaming:

"No! Get away from me! Why are you telling me all this?!"

"Apparently, this guy will stop at nothing to come for you. Who knows why or whatever else he has in mind; but he doesn't look friendly, at all. So don't just stand there!"

"The Islands… are going too?" Kairi puts her hands on her face. "He said that, didn't he?"

She trembles. A dark smoke starts forming around her.

This caused a jerking motion of Akira's body.

"Damn! Kairi—" he says before switching to a calmer voice. "Kairi. Calm down. Don't be afraid! I'm here with you. I'll protect—" he stops halfway through yet nothing seems to justify his interruption. His eyes suddenly became blank.

"I just… I just want this to end! I want everyone safe!" screams the girl, as the dark smoke intensifies around her.

Akira's senses instantly slow down. He quickly seemed aware of something. Something he's been repressing for long.

He turns around towards the portal and notices the figure from before. Just standing there.

"That look on your face. You understand now, don't you?" says the figure.

"You're one sick bastard, you know that?… But it's the truth." he looks at Kairi to speak to her for what it seems like the last time: "You people are the reason my Heart shattered five years ago. There's no hope for the weak. Only the strong-minded survive." He turns to the figure. "But that doesn't mean Darkness is the way to go! And you have yet to tell me where you've learned from me!"

Displeased with this answer, the figure puts on a beige cloak over himself and exclaims:

"Darkness _is_ the reason that the 'strong-minded' thrive! You still have yet to learn, though I will let you decide for yourself. And if you want your answers, find me by the name of… Ansem."

The man disappears into the portal, now shutting and revealing the wooden door from before with an oddly shaped keyhole.

"Kairi?"

Sora's voice echoes through the cave.

Upon reaching the spacious part, he notices Kairi who, although standing, seems like she'll fall over with the faintest blow.

"So… ra…" she mumbles as she turns around to him.

The young boy's body tremors upon seeing her eyes, blank, without a soul; without her usual expression of joy filled in her eyes. She begins to fall towards him, to which he tries to catch her only to see her vanish into light smoke.

"Kairi!" Sora exclaimed before noticing Akira in the background with a threatening look. "You! What did you do to Kairi?! Where did she go?!"

Akira remains still, silent, ignoring Sora's question. Instead, he observes what the boy carries in his hand: a human-sized key.

"Answer me! What are… What are you and Riku up to?!"

Akira remains quiet for a few seconds before answering:

"Riku and I aren't working together. Although now I think I understand what's going on with him."

"And that is?" Sora quickly replies.

"He's _your_ friend, isn't he? Why won't _you_ ask him?"

"Cut it out! I know you're hiding something!… Right?"

Akira was about to answer but a strong pulling force interrupts them. It is so strong that both shuffle on the floor in direction to the exit.

Once outside, Akira grabs a loose branch with all of his might; Sora grabs onto the Paopu tree further away, closer to a colossal Dark Orb that reigned the sky. It was pulling so strongly that Akira sees many people getting sucked into the orb. Screams could be heard in the air; even with the people far away, they could still be heard; shrieks, loud sobs, familial names. Akira closes his eyes tightly. He can't stand it. He feels powerless.

His strength starts to fade; his hand lets go of the branch; he is pulled unto the Dark Orb.

He doesn't know if he'll live.


End file.
